Volunteers Glenn Eades [RIGHT] and Tim McGruder [LEFT] at the Marymoor Park Bird Loop

If we had to use one word to describe Eastside Audubon member Glenn Eades, it would be stalwart. Joining the chapter in 1975, Glenn Eades has dutifully served Eastside Audubon’s conservation and habitat restoration efforts for decades.

Since 2006, Glenn has been a dedicated volunteer and leader at Eastside Audubon’s habitation restoration work parties along the Bird Loop at Marymoor Park. Known for its diversity in birds, the Bird Loop is a natural area of the park that winds through several types of habitat—making it ideal for birdwatching. Rain or shine, Glenn can be found in his ball cap ready to dig into whatever work is at hand during the volunteer event each month—be it removal of stubborn invasive plants or installation of native plants to support the local bird populations.

Learn more about Glenn and what drives his commitment to Eastside Audubon!

What attracted you to conservation originally?

It just seems obvious, it was the way I was raised, I suppose.

What’s your favorite bird or other wild animal? And why?

I like the other birds that dine at our feeders, especially my chickadees, they are (nearly) always there.

What do you do when you aren't volunteering with Eastside Audubon?

Right now, work on my yard. Normally, I volunteer for other things including The Mountaineers.

What committee do you currently volunteer with?

The Marymoor Park habitat restoration project. I have been involved right from the start, doing the monthly work parties for many years.

When did the Marymoor Park habitat restoration project start? What do you remember about the early days?

We started in 2006. That was the year we signed onto the partnership with King County. I have sketchy records from then, but I do know that we had a BIG Day of Caring with Microsoft on September 6, 2006. That, I think, is when we egged the Microsoft volunteers into yanking out vast quantities of really big Scotch broom from the upper meadow. We really didn’t think they could do it, but they did!

We decided to get going with work parties while we were still negotiating the partnership with King County, and quickly set the pattern of year around first-Saturday, come-if-you-can work parties. That turned out to be a good plan, as it was simple for us to manage and easy for our volunteers. Just come if you can. Also, that showed, early on, that we could get things done, and would be worth supporting. That got us off on a good footing with Marymoor Park and King County.

Early on, we got a lot done without much overhead - and had a lot of fun, even, a few times, in some really crappy weather! The simple, monthly work parties, come if you can, when you can, plus ALWAYS having a plan for useful work and the required tools for the volunteers that show up worked well.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering?

Being around great people that are committed to doing good work, and apparently enjoying it.

What has surprised you most about working with your local Audubon chapter?

Just how dedicated folks are. But I don’t suppose that should really be a surprise.

Awareness of climate change and the need for action seems to be growing. Why do you think that is?

It’s getting hard to avoid, I suppose. I think that many folks know it is happening, but are afraid to acknowledge it because it seems unsolvable. Learning more about the specifics of the problem, and the specifics of what can be done helps, I think.

What do you hope the organization will achieve in the near future? In the long term?

Education is always important. Keep at it.

What motivates you to stay involved?

It’s fun, and it feels good to be part of actually doing something, and seeing results, and feeling the energy from others that are involved..

What would you tell someone who is thinking about volunteering with Eastside Audubon?

Do it. You can always stop doing it if you don’t end up liking what you are doing, but you will never know unless you do it for starters. Say yes.

Thank you Glenn! We are so grateful for the knowledge and experience you bring to your volunteer role at Eastside Audubon and for your continued support of our local wildlife.